August 29, (THEWILL) – Arsenal defender, Nuno Tavares, is set to join Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
The 22-year-old left-back spent last season on loan at Marseille and was keen to secure another temporary move this summer. Forest faced competition from Aston Villa but have managed to agree a deal with Arsenal that includes an option to make the transfer permanent next year.
Tavares will provide competition for Forest’s current first-choice left-back, Harry Toffolo. Meanwhile, Arsenal striker, Folarin Balogun, is nearing a £40m permanent transfer to Ligue 1 side Monaco. However, versatile midfielder, Emile Smith Rowe, looks set to stay at the Emirates this summer despite interest from Chelsea.
Manager Mikel Arteta could still allow other fringe players to leave before the window closes, with Rob Holding and Cedric Soares potentially up for sale. But key first-team stars like Smith Rowe remain part of Arteta’s plans going forward.
Tavares will hope to impress on loan at Forest and earn a permanent move next year after failing to establish himself at Arsenal since joining from Benfica in 2021. The Portuguese full-back made 28 appearances for the Gunners last season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.